Bouchard speaks with U.S. News & World Report about environmental impact of large-scale aquaculture

Deborah Bouchard, director of the Aquaculture Research Institute at the University of Maine, spoke with U.S. News & World Report about the environmental impact of large-scale aquaculture as Nordic Aquafarms plans to build a facility to harvest 72 million pounds of salmon each year. “These fishery corporations are way ahead of the curve on environmental impact. They’re very responsible,” says Bouchard, also a division lead for University of Maine Cooperative Extension Diagnostic Research Laboratory’s Aquatic Animal Health Lab. “And it’s in the interest of national food security that we not only raise our own food but also keep it close to the communities that rely upon it.” The story also highlights a 2017 UMaine report concluding that aquaculture in Maine has a direct economic impact of $73.4 million in product and another $35.7 million in labor income, making it one of the leading drivers in the state’s financial health. Coastal News Today shared the story.